Health News 03/2010

The White House called for a "simple up-or-down" vote on health care legislation Sunday as Speaker Nancy Pelosi appealed to House Democrats to get behind President Barack Obama's chief domestic priority even it if threatens their political careers.(Mar 1, 2010)

Obama set for 'up or down vote' on health care (USA Today)

The White House's top health care adviser on Sunday repeated a call by President Obama for "an up or down vote" on health care legislation.(Mar 1, 2010)

Raising the prospect of a "simple up-or-down vote" on health-care reform, White House adviser Nancy-Ann DeParle said on Sunday she thinks Democrats will secure enough ayes on the measure and signaled that the administration could be moving toward trying to pass it along party lines.(Mar 1, 2010)

Obama set for 'up or down vote' on health care (USA Today)

The White House's top health care adviser on Sunday repeated a call by President Obama for "an up or down vote" on health care legislation as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tried to rally Democrats around a final bill.(Mar 1, 2010)

The White House called for a "simple up-or-down" vote on health care legislation Sunday as Speaker Nancy Pelosi appealed to House Democrats to get behind President Barack Obama's chief domestic priority even it if threatens their political careers.(Mar 1, 2010)

Buffett says health care costs hurt US economy (AP via Yahoo! News)

Billionaire Warren Buffett says health care costs are a major drain on U.S. businesses and act like an "economic tape worm."(Mar 1, 2010)

Reconciliation showdown ahead on health care? (CNN)

With the health care summit showing no sign of getting either side to budge, lawmakers are staking out positions in the battle many believe is imminent: a presidential effort to push legislation through without Republican support.(Mar 1, 2010)

Ten House Democrats say they have not ruled out the possibility of switching their earlier "no" votes to "yes" on the big health care overhaul. That's giving Democrats a glimmer of hope in the face of unyielding Republican opposition.(Mar 2, 2010)

Lionel Shriver’s new book creates a harrowing picture of the fallout that the current health care and insurance system can have upon regular, middle-class families.(Mar 2, 2010)

House Dems eye switch to 'yes' on health care (USA Today)

Ten House Democrats indicated in an Associated Press survey Monday they have not ruled out switching their "no" votes to "yes" on President Obama's health care overhaul, brightening the party's hopes in the face of unyielding Republican opposition.(Mar 2, 2010)

Democrats face health care hurdles amid talk of reconciliation (CNN)

While Democrats have recently threatened to use a parliamentary procedure to pass the health care reform bill, it is unclear whether their caucus will even have enough votes to take the first step.(Mar 2, 2010)

Obama likely to announce new health care strategy Wednesday (CNN)

President Obama is likely to lay out a political road map Wednesday for passage of sweeping health care legislation, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday.(Mar 2, 2010)

Two former executives of the bankrupt health care company Canopy Financial Inc. were charged Monday with swindling investors out of $75 million and illegally pocketing $19 million from accounts that were supposed to pay the medical bills of individuals nationwide.(Mar 2, 2010)

Nine House Democrats indicated in an Associated Press survey Monday they have not ruled out switching their "no" votes to "yes" on President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, brightening the party's hopes in the face of unyielding Republican opposition.(Mar 2, 2010)

Families in some poor nations are trapped in cycles of illness and poverty as authorities fail to tackle chronic health problems or meet goals on child health and tuberculosis, scientists said on Tuesday.(Mar 2, 2010)

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer says members of Congress voting for legislation overhauling the health care system will be more than willing to defend it to voters in the fall elections.(Mar 2, 2010)

Lionel Shriver’s new book creates a harrowing picture of the fallout that the current health care and insurance system can have upon regular, middle-class families.(Mar 2, 2010)

Obama still working on latest health care plan (AP via Yahoo! News)

The White House says President Barack Obama and his team are still working through final decisions of what will be in the revised health care plan Obama will announce on Wednesday.(Mar 2, 2010)

Obama looks to undecided Dems for health backing (AP via Yahoo! News)

A week after personally taking charge of last-ditch efforts to save health care overhaul, President Barack Obama will lay out a revised proposal Wednesday that Democrats hope can pass Congress within weeks.(Mar 2, 2010)

March 2 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama will reject Republican calls for a gradual approach to a health-care overhaul when he announces his plans this week for moving legislation through Congress, his health secretary said.(Mar 2, 2010)

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama offered Tuesday to include four Republican initiatives in his health care bill, but GOP leaders were unenthusiastic as Democrats prepared a last big push to get legislation passed.(Mar 3, 2010)

"Everyday Americans" invited by the White House to a health care forum a year ago have become disillusioned by the impasse.(Mar 3, 2010)

Obama embraces some GOP health care proposals (CNN)

President Obama extended a bipartisan olive branch to GOP leaders in the health care debate Tuesday, stating in a letter that he is willing to consider several of their ideas in a compromise plan.(Mar 3, 2010)

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced a US$45 billion funding takeover of the country's ailing health-care system on Wednesday, proposing to wrest it away from the states and cut hospital waiting lists.(Mar 3, 2010)

President Barack Obama embraced a handful of Republican health care ideas Tuesday to lure votes of Democrats wary of a more partisan approach as he prepared to spell out his final package for a sharply divided House and Senate, where its fate is unsure.(Mar 3, 2010)

Obama to offer amended health care plan (AP via Yahoo! News)

President Barack Obama is unveiling his revised version of a health care bill at the White House. It's expected to include several Republican proposals.(Mar 3, 2010)

As Democrats try to salvage health care reform, there is one man who above all others will help determine its fate, and he is not Barack Obama or Harry Reid or even a member of Congress(Mar 3, 2010)

Obama's new health care reform plan to include GOP ideas (CNN)

In a last-ditch attempt to craft a bipartisan health care reform bill, President Obama will release a new proposal Wednesday that will include Republican ideas on tort reform and health savings accounts, according to Democratic officials familiar with the plans.(Mar 3, 2010)

Kaine not worried about politics of health care (AP via Yahoo! News)

Democratic Party chairman Tim Kaine said Wednesday he expects the health care overhaul will be passed and he's not worried about Republican threats to make it a premier issue in this year's midterm elections.(Mar 3, 2010)

Guess who really pays for health care? (CNN)

If President Obama had been forthright last week at the health care summit, he would have opened the meeting by stating: "If you have health coverage, under our reform bills you are going to pay more and get less. If you are one of the 45 million elderly or disabled people on Medicare, you are going to get less. There is no such thing as free medical care. Somebody has to pay! And in the end it ...(Mar 3, 2010)

Obama to present health care ideas (AFP via Yahoo! News)

US President Barack Obama will incorporate Republican suggestions for a health care overhaul when he lays out his plans on Wednesday to get the historic legislation passed by Congress.(Mar 3, 2010)

Obama to launch final push for health overhaul (AFP via Yahoo! News)

US President Barack Obama on Wednesday was to ring the final round bell of the year-long bout over his historic health care plan, pushing Congress for quick action over stiff Republican objections.(Mar 3, 2010)

President Barack Obama is urging Congress to finally push through his massive health care overhaul, freshening it with a handful of Republican ideas in a gesture of bipartisanship but strongly signaling Democrats will go it alone.(Mar 3, 2010)

Health Highlights: March 3, 2010 (HealthDay via Yahoo! News)

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:(Mar 3, 2010)

Obama Asks for 'Up or Down Vote' on Health Reform (Time Magazine)

Today's speech by President Obama was not the first in which he's urged passage of comprehensive health care reform, but he's hoping it will be his last. We'll see(Mar 4, 2010)

Obama’s Remarks on Health Care (New York Times)

A text of President Obama’s speech on the need to overhaul of the country’s health care system.(Mar 4, 2010)